Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Gestational Diabetes

86 replies

RunningAwayFromMyMind · 14/12/2014 17:41

Anyone else here suffering?

I'm almost 33 weeks with Baby number 3 but my 1st GD pregnancy.

I'm currently on 500mg of Metformin Slow Release 4x a day and insulin twice a day.

I see the obstetrician and diabetes consultant every 2 weeks along with a growth and doppler scan and then see the midwife every week inbetween.

I'm having a girl and 2 weeks ago she was measuring on the 99th centile and I've had another 2 weeks of uncontrolled sugars so I'm dreading my scan on Tuesday and seeing how much she has grown again. I have no risk factors so we were all very surprised with the outcome of my GTT!

Anyone else in the same boat?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
tiggy2610 · 14/12/2014 18:34

I too had a surprise GD diagnoses at 26 weeks! No risk factors, the midwife booked me on by accident and I decided to pop along anyway as "...what can it hurt?". Sure enough it came back positive so it's a good job I did go!

Now 31+4 and I've been lucky that I haven't needed to be put on metformin or insulin, but as baby gets bigger it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep my sugars low so I wouldn't be surprised if meformin was coming my way.

I had a growth scan on Thursday which they think has picked up on the beginnings of placental insufficiency - back in the morning for another scan and to meet with the consultant. Baby currently measuring fine and in 52nd percentile so time will tell...

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 14/12/2014 18:53

It's crazy isn't it, never ever thought I'd end up with it! They did a repeat test that day to make sure!

The further along I am getting the harder it is to even get them to a decent level.

I miss so much nice food and oh my gosh, how difficult is Christmas going to be?! I usually really go all out for a few days before.
My consultant has given me permission for a 'good hearty dinner with pudding' and add an extra few units of insulin to compensate!

OP posts:
Due2015 · 14/12/2014 18:59

Hi I'm 31 weeks was diagnosed at 28. I think I will be given insulin when I go on Wednesday, was just told they could do with another week of monitoring to see

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 14/12/2014 19:16

How are you finding it Due? are you diet controlled? or already on meds?

OP posts:
Due2015 · 14/12/2014 19:20

I'm diet controlled at the moment but my bed time readings have been really high no matter what I eat. He suggested metformin but I was on that whilst ttc and felt ill taking it so will be given insulin at my next app if my readings don't come down

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 14/12/2014 19:38

Metformin didn't agree with me so they changed me to slow release which has been much better and have lowered my fasting readings slightly which is a positive but they are still far too high Sad

OP posts:
Due2015 · 14/12/2014 19:41

What would be the next stage then? Can they increase the slow release? Has induction/ early delivery been mentioned at all?

scratchandsniff · 14/12/2014 19:47

Are there any symptoms? Or only ever picked up with routine tests? I'm paranoid about GD, I'm absolutely massive this time, look about 8mths at 24 weeks. I haven't exactly been that good with my diet, have had very sweet tooth. Baby's abdominal circumference was on 94th percentile at 20 week scan.

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 14/12/2014 19:48

upping the insulin mostly, they can go up to huge amounts of units. I'm being induced at 37 weeks but this is dependant on my scans and how my placenta is functioning, it was on the upper end of normal 2 weeks ago so it's a play it day by day situation really.

It's so frustrating when one day I can tolerate something then a few days later my levels are through the roof. I had 2 roast potatoes earlier with loads of veg and got a 11.4

OP posts:
Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 14/12/2014 19:50

I was sent for GTT because my 2nd baby was 'big for gestation' he was 5lb 10oz at 32 weeks. Other than that I had no risk factors. I didn't have any symptoms but now I know what I'm looking for I do get symptoms from high and low sugars, I get low sugars die to the insulin. but high sugars make me feel like I have a hangover, sicky and just rough.

OP posts:
tiggy2610 · 14/12/2014 20:14

Christmas is going to be horrible! Sad

During our work Christmas meal I managed a dinner without potatoes and tucked into a heart bowl of fruit while I watched everyone else enjoy their Christmas pudding and custard, I could have cried! I haven't even had a mince pie this year because I can imagine what it would do to my sugars. Luckily I've found a few squares of dark chocolate don't push me over the edge so they have kept me going Smile when I met with my diabetes nurse last week I said that my sugars were OK but I was practically living on salad and meat - she told me that the last thing they want is for me to starve myself and of I need insulin I need insulin. I don't think I'll make it to 37 weeks without to be honest. Last week I had one slice of toast with beans and my reading was 7.2, I had exactly the same this morning and it was 9.8! Shock

I had absolutely no symptoms at all when I first tested positive, in face the morning of the test the nurse asked me on three seperate occasions if I was sure I wanted to go through with the GTT. Now at 31 I am getting the horrific thirst and frequent toilet trips.

On the plus side I've lost 10lbs since first diagnosed at 26 weeks (BMI was 28 so I had a little to loose!) - hoping I'll be back to pre-pregnancy weight shortly after birth Wink have to find the silver linings where we can!

tiggy2610 · 14/12/2014 20:15

Forgive the horrendous typos in there! Bloody iPhone..!

pinkr · 14/12/2014 20:28

Coming out the other side. ..I had no risk factors but was diagnosed after bump measuring full term size at 30 weeks. This is called polyhydramnios and basically I was full of too much amniotic fluid. I managed to diet control and hang on until i was induced at 40 weeks. I found lots of protein staved off the hunger. Oh and dd was 8 lb 2 so hardly huge given they were predicting ten pounds at my last scan

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 15/12/2014 16:50

Had a bit of a wobble today, have been feeling really sicky so my levels have been through the roof, they've upped my insulin but I also have a uti so I'm taking antibiotics alongside the metformin and iron tablets and I just feel really rubbish. everything I fancy eating I can't have.

OP posts:
Due2015 · 15/12/2014 16:56

I feel for you, all I want To do is eat today! I want my tea but then I'll be too hungry when I go to bed and am worried what my readings will be

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 15/12/2014 17:04

I'm glad I'm at the clinic tomorrow but terrified about my scan, I've had a huge spurt and I swear I feel like I might burst open in some sort of Alien reinactment!

33 Weeks on Thursday and 37 weeks seems forever away when you have GD.

OP posts:
Due2015 · 15/12/2014 17:14

I find it helps to not look at how many weeks left so maybe focus on one thing (say christmas) then another appointment for eg. Seems to make the time go quicker, if that makes sense

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 15/12/2014 17:20

Yeah that's what I've been doing (I have appointments weekly) it's just so tedious some days.

Like today when I just feel shit it makes me so fed up.

I'll be out of my grump tomorrow, just one of those days. Sad Sad

OP posts:
Due2015 · 15/12/2014 18:27

I know how you feel, it helps to moan doesn't it Grin

tiggy2610 · 15/12/2014 20:36

I'm having a grump day too running and am also meeting with the diabetes consultant tomorrow morning.

Got really fed up today watching my colleagues dig into homemade mince pies and Christmas goodies that everyone had bought in. Sat and sulked and ate my banana in the corner Sad

Came home and DH tried to be nice and cook me dinner, except it was shepherds pie and I know my sugars will Sky rocket at a spoonful of mash. Bless him, he completely forgot. I ended up quietly sobbing like it was the end of the world while picking at the mince and eating bits of broccoli. If it were up to me there would be a violinist in the background playing the saddest music known to man.

All I'm asking for is a big bowl of sticky toffee pudding and thick vanilla custard!

Original poster
RunningAwayFromMyMind · 15/12/2014 20:59

It's so difficult isn't it. Luckily my husband understands and has been really good food wise him and the DC were tucking into mince pies and custard earlier.

I had a cry earlier because I'm just so tired of feeling like rubbish and the guilt, god the guilt, even though I know it's my hormones and nothing I'm doing to cause the high levels.

I could murder some tiger bread toast with loads of salted butter!

OP posts:
tiggy2610 · 15/12/2014 21:14

Flowers The guilt is the worst and I completely get that! As soon as I get a high reading I'm just imagining all the harm I'm causing him. But you're right, this isn't our fault and all we can do is our best.

DH has been so good since I was diagnosed but he just had a hiccup today. After I had finished crying Ito my mince he went to the local
Chinese and got me my favorite stir fried brocolli and asparagus Grin

Tomorrow will be a better day and when babies are here we deserve the biggest and sickliest thing we can get our hands on and I'll be damned if anyone thinks I'm sharing! Wink

ILiveOnABuildsite · 15/12/2014 22:01

Been there with my first pregnancy, surprise diagnosis at 26 weeks, i'm quite slim and no diabetes in immediate family, I happened to mentioned my granddad getting type two diabetes in is 80s I didn't think it made any difference as he was so old when he was diagnosed I just presumed it was brought on by his age. Anyway, midwife said better safe than sorry and booked me in for Gtt. Results were through the roof and simply wouldn't be diet controlled, even starving myself , going more or less completely carbless and still blood sugar was super high. Anyway, I quickly ended up on 4 insulin doses a day but still result were just borderline okay.

I was induced at 38 weeks, dd weight 8lbs so not huge but she was born at 38wks gestation so could have been much bigger.

Currently pregnant with dc2, only 21 weeks but already been seen by consultant who will send me for an early GTT just after christmas and hopefully catch it early this time. I have been told that as there seem to very little reasons behind me actually getting gd there is every chance I will have it again. So far baby is measuring fine but so was my dd at 20 weeks so not really anything to go on yet.

I think it's horrible when you can't eat anything nice anymore but I do have to say that the care I received antenatal and during inductions and post natal was amazing and all the midwives and consultants I saw all did everything possible to make it easier for me and safe for dd.

Good luck to all of you,

ILiveOnABuildsite · 15/12/2014 22:06

Oh and just to say about feeling guilty when you get a high, once my dd was born her blood sugar level were back to normal within a couple of hours and although she was a bigger baby (for gestational age) she quickly settled in her own body shape/weight. She was born on 91st centile (if I remember correctly) and has quickly settled between 50th and 60th and has stayed there since about 6 month, she is 3 now. So my high results didn't have any lasting effect on her and believe me I had loads of really high levels despite trying so hard to control it.

Due2015 · 15/12/2014 22:48

I'm the same with the guilt I feel like because I'm overweight it's my fault even though this is not the case!
For the shepherds pie try sweet potato mash on top that's what I have